The suspect, a US citizen of Pakistani descent, was arrested in New York as he tried to board a flight to Dubai

U.S. government authorities say they have arrested a man suspected of playing a role in last week's failed terrorist bombing attack in New York City's famous Times Square entertainment district.

Agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security arrested Faisal Shahzad, late Monday night, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York as he was attempting to fly to Dubai.

Shahzad, United States citizen of Pakistani origin, will appear in a federal courtroom Tuesday to face formal charges. He was arrested hours after U.S. news outlets reported that federal authorities had identified the person who bought a sport utility vehicle used in last week's attempted bombing as a man of Pakistani descent.

Investigators believe Shahzad, who lives in Connecticut, used cash to purchase the vehicle from a man who advertised it on a popular Internet classified advertising site.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Shahzad's arrest in a televised statement in the early hours of Tuesday. He said authorities will continue to search for more suspects.

"This investigation is ongoing, as are our attempts to gather useful intelligence, and we continue to pursue a number of leads. But it's clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans," he said.

Holder said the probe will focus on possible links to international terrorist groups.